• Apple Already Selling Unlocked iPhone 4Ss as "Off-Contract" Devices

    by
    Phillip Swanson
    Published on 2011-10-16 11:20 PM
    32 Comments Comments



    Apple announced its plans to offer an unlocked iPhone 4S for purchase sometime in November earlier this month, but that promise appears to have come a little early.

    Reports are surfacing that a number of individuals have already received an unlocked iPhone 4S from Apple. It appears phones purchased at Apple and other retail outlets as “off contract” devices come already unlocked. These devices are sold at full price (between $649 and $849) and require no contract commitment to any carrier.

    IDownloadBlog was able to purchase a retail iPhone 4S and use it on T-Mobile with no problems, and other MacRumors users have reported similar findings. The users purchased their phones for full price without extending their contracts and upon restoring their device saw the above prompt congratulating them on their unlocked iPhone.

    Sprint iPhone 4Ss appear to be unlocked as well. Readers have reported their phones working on GSM networks after inserting their SIM cards. The micro-SIM slot for Sprint users is unlocked to allow customers to use the phone internationally. As of now the phones ship with “roaming SIMs” allowing customers to use the phone internationally, but at an extreme cost to the customer. Sprint has promised to allow customers in “good standing” to unlock the micro-SIM and use lower cost foreign prepaid SIM-cards. While the Sprint iPhone 4Ss are currently unlocked, Sprint has promised to lock them soon.

    Have any MMi users been successful unlocking their phones? Were they “off-contract” devices?

    Source: iDownloadBlog
    This article was originally published in forum thread: Apple Selling Unlocked iPhone 4Ss Already as "Off-Contract" Devices started by Phillip Swanson View original post
    1. Categories:
    2. iPhone,
    3. iOS,
    4. Apple,
    5. Mac
    Comments 32 Comments
    1. Anthony Bouchard's Avatar
      Anthony Bouchard - 2011-10-16, 11:22 PM
      Great, if this is true then I will be buying one very soon.
    1. lorderick70's Avatar
      lorderick70 - 2011-10-16, 11:32 PM
      I'll be getting one soon as well if that's the case.
    1. raceking777's Avatar
      raceking777 - 2011-10-16, 11:45 PM
      Will 3G work on t mobile's network?
    1. azxken's Avatar
      azxken - 2011-10-16, 11:52 PM
      ...
    1. allanes5's Avatar
      allanes5 - 2011-10-17, 12:06 AM
      Yes, I would like to buy two (wife and I) white off cotract ASAP) Online
    1. hingeinc's Avatar
      hingeinc - 2011-10-17, 12:06 AM
      Why can't AT&T unlock the iPhone 4 I bought last year?
    1. emtee25's Avatar
      emtee25 - 2011-10-17, 12:36 AM
      Quote Originally Posted by azxken View Post
      can anyone confirm this? if this is true then i will go buy one right away
      Here in the UK you can buy them unlocked straight from apple all the time
    1. exNavy's Avatar
      exNavy - 2011-10-17, 12:39 AM
      Odd my iphone 4 never gave me the congratulations screen, it just worked.
    1. g12007's Avatar
      g12007 - 2011-10-17, 12:40 AM
      y would sprint lock it if Apple already made it "unlocked"
    1. spyder2005's Avatar
      spyder2005 - 2011-10-17, 12:43 AM
      New Sprint customer here. Can confirm that the Sprint iPhone 4S is unlocked. Removed Sprint SIM card, phone stayed on Sprint network until I inserted a German Prepaid Micro SIM. Switched Carriers without having to reboot! Im keeping this phone!!!
    1. azxken's Avatar
      azxken - 2011-10-17, 12:52 AM
      ...
    1. babyydaveyy's Avatar
      babyydaveyy - 2011-10-17, 12:54 AM
      I know it probably sounds dumb, but perhaps some phones that were supposed to go to Canada are being sold in the States . Because here in Canada they are always unlocked if bought at full price from apple store
    1. Gyngabread Man's Avatar
      Gyngabread Man - 2011-10-17, 01:13 AM
      npw if only i could find a spinrt 4S that would be something
    1. KingRichard's Avatar
      KingRichard - 2011-10-17, 02:59 AM
      We'll could anyone make a check list area of Apple Store that sold the Unlocked iPhone 4S? I know Minnesota (Mall of America) Apple Store dont sell it. They keep saying that the unlock version is not in any Apple Store until November.
    1. Simon's Avatar
      Simon - 2011-10-17, 03:48 AM
      I think it's silly that apple says November for the unlocked ones online. Don't see any reason for it. Apparently some of their stores don't either.
    1. mutethoughts's Avatar
      mutethoughts - 2011-10-17, 04:45 AM
      I want a Verizon or Sprint iPhone 4S officially unlocked. I have AT&T but if I'm going to pay retail I want to have the highest resale value possible.
    1. azxken's Avatar
      azxken - 2011-10-17, 06:14 AM
      This does not work! I just went to Apple Store today (in OR) and got myself a contract-free iphone 4s 32gb for $749 and test it but it didn't work. I activated the phone and tried inserted my T-mobile micro sim card in and it said "no service"

      I guess there are only a few that work.. So let just wait until Nov when Apple officially release their unlocked iphones.
    1. Holyloktar's Avatar
      Holyloktar - 2011-10-17, 06:24 AM
      Quote Originally Posted by raceking777 View Post
      Will 3G work on t mobile's network?
      No, it will still be restricted to Edge.
    1. nightsoarer's Avatar
      nightsoarer - 2011-10-17, 06:33 AM
      Quote Originally Posted by azxken View Post
      can anyone confirm this? if this is true then i will go buy one right away
      Actually yes, I can! Before any of this news got out, I was going to post about it! It really does! When I bought my iPhone 4S, no-contract AT&T 64Gb, they told me they had to activate it for me, so they did. When I got home, I restored my iPhone from backup and once the firmware finished installing it took me to that "Congratulations" screen you see in the pic. I was perplexed because I heard they would not sell unlocked iPhones until November, but apparently they were probably just trying to reduce the amount of resellers by telling people that they would not be unlocked. Even when I was in line, the gentleman behind me was asking about it and two different sales associates said the same thing, that all the iphones would be locked to whatever carrier it was tied to and would not come unlocked. All I know is when I did that, iTunes went ahead and unlocked it for me, no jail-breaking necessary.
    1. jamescrofton's Avatar
      jamescrofton - 2011-10-17, 08:42 AM
      Quote Originally Posted by azxken View Post
      This does not work! I just went to Apple Store today (in OR) and got myself a contract-free iphone 4s 32gb for $749 and test it but it didn't work. I activated the phone and tried inserted my T-mobile micro sim card in and it said "no service"

      I guess there are only a few that work.. So let just wait until Nov when Apple officially release their unlocked iphones.


      RESTORE IPHONE AND THEN PUT TMOBILE SIM IN TO ACTIVATE. Please post if it worked...!

      Quote Originally Posted by KingRichard View Post
      We'll could anyone make a check list area of Apple Store that sold the Unlocked iPhone 4S? I know Minnesota (Mall of America) Apple Store dont sell it. They keep saying that the unlock version is not in any Apple Store until November.
      It is not a unlocked iPhone Apple is officially selling:

      . I believe People are buying locked to AT&T versions. But Activating the phones with Non At&T sims. This will only work I am lead to believe from other posts I have read.

      If you restore and or start with the T-mobile sim in the iPhone when you activate it should unlock the iPhone provided you bought the iPhone with no 2 year contract at full retail price.

      If you already activated with a at&t sim, you may need to Restore first. Then put T-mobile sim in before the iPhone is plugged in to iTunes after the restore is complete. Now If you activate with the T-Mobile or any non AT&T sim iTunes should give you the unlocked message. Best if you can just buy the iPhone at Apple and take it home and activate it first time with t-mobile or any other non AT&T sim.

      Any one who bought a out of contract at&t iPhone might oblige the community and test this theory and post.

      Cheers,

      James
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